Thrusters Need Love, Too

In the middle of a casual conversation yesterday, a friend said something that stopped me cold.

I was blah-blah-blabbing as usual, amusing myself with witty banter about a celebrity train wreck.

“That guy is a dirtbag,” I said. Note that I neither actually know “that guy,” nor do I know anyone who knows that guy.

“Is he really a dirtbag?” my friend said.

I shrugged.

Then my friend dropped a knowledge bomb: “Sometimes I think about the world as having two kinds of people,” he said, “People that love and people that need love.”

Hmm.

I’ve been chewing on that thought ever since.

I think I’m generally a kind, empathetic, compassionate person. But it’s easy for me to go to a place of judgment about people and frustration in uncontrollable situations – and that creates a lot of negative. Negative energy. Negative perceptions. Negative experiences.

Who wants that?

So I’m resolved to replace judgment with compassion – for others and myself. This is me, bringing the love.

And yes, I thought about all of this when I saw this morning’s workout: thrusters and swings.

I have no love for thrusters. In fact, I’ve documented my white-hot, deep-rooted, all-consuming hatred for many times on this blogΒ and at every workout ever in the history of my CrossFit experience ever that included thrusters.

nqV-you-get-a-thruster-you-get-a-thruster-you-get-a-thruster-everyone
I cannot lie to you, dear friends. I did not love the thrusters this morning. But I did do them and, except for one tiny slip when I might have said aloud, “I hate thrusters,” I kept my pouting to a minimum. And just before Tristy said 3-2-1-GO!, I forced myself into an attitude adjustment so I approached the WOD not entirely with love, but with… let’s call it “respect and understanding.” And really, isn’t that the best place for love to start?

Skills
6 back squats, 4-count down, 1-count up, 85#
rest :30
6 push-ups, 2-count down, 2-count up
rest :30
8 ring rows, 4-count down + 8 assisted chinups
:30 Rest

WOD
4 rounds:
10 thrusters, 45#
15 kb swings, 16kg
My time: 6:56

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Comments

  • Lauren {Stylized Existence} says:

    I hate thrusters too, but next time we have a WOD with them, I will try to approach them as level-headedly (is that even a word?) as you did. Hats off.

  • Melissa 'Melicious' Joulwan says:

    Poor thrusters! So misunderstood and maligned. Maybe they should try to be nicer… maybe meet us halfway, at least?!

  • suzanne says:

    so funny..I absolutely LOVE thrusters…but hate front squats, go figure!

  • Melissa 'Melicious' Joulwan says:

    Suzanne! I hate thrusters and love front squats. Go figure! πŸ˜‰

  • Heather says:

    I hate thrusters too….especially when they are in Fran πŸ™

  • Lydia says:

    You're a better person than I am. I feel ZERO "respect and understanding," much less a sense of compassion, for 90% of humanity today.

    Grrr. Just…grrrrrrr.

  • suzanne says:

    Melissa, I remember you posting your love for front squats somewhere…and I remember thinking ..yuck!

    I love thrusters so much that when I was 9 months pregnant, I won a contest in our gym for the most thrusters without putting the bar down..I think I got up to 62 reps at 65 pounds…sad, I was more fit then at 9 months pregnant than I am now πŸ™

  • Melissa 'Melicious' Joulwan says:

    Suzanne –> Just the thought of 65# thrusters makes me want to cry. You are one tough mama… then AND now.

  • Suzanne says:

    Melissa – I needed to hear that right now..baby #3 is not agreeing with daylight savings this whole past week and I am running on empty right now…but I AM a tough mama πŸ™‚

  • Melissa 'Melicious' Joulwan says:

    If you have three wee ones, you are the very definition of tough.

  • Lydia G says:

    I just found your blog and I love it. You are a girl after my own heart.

    Today we did Fran at my box and I was feeling smug because my first 21 thrusters were unbroken. As I was putting the bar down (just using a 45# bar, no added weight), I cracked my head with it. Really, really hard. I actually chipped a tooth (didn't know that at the time). No one had seen it happen, so I just kept going…

    It's hard to love thrusters.

  • Melissa 'Melicious' Joulwan says:

    Hey, Lydia G! Welcome! Fran is a bitch. Twenty-one thrusters unbroken is AWESOME. Smacking yourself with the bar, way, WAY less awesome. Poor you! Hope you're feeling OK today. And good on you for finishing the WOD. I smacked myself in the nose with the bar doing snatches one day, and I saw stars! But I kept going, too. There is no stubborn like CrossFit Stubborn.

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